Vaudeville Styles Workshop with Bill Irwin

Vaudeville and Music Hall, they’ve left a cultural memory, it’s a potential resource for any performer. In this full day workshop we’ll look at:
* A few traditional steps from the Vaudeville and Music Hall eras (very basic, as warm up). Especially looking at the twist and torque that brings them to life.
* The science of entrance and exit that came with performing short numbers. (Valuable for working on a traditional vaudeville number, or on a stand-up comic’s entrance and exit, or a clown’s, or for a choreographer’s exploration of ins and outs.) We’ll look at the questions of setting expectation, of immediate relationship with an audience, and of what ‘fun’ seems to be in a theatre.
* A Vaudevillian's use of illusion: taller, shorter, cross dressing, quick gender gags, relationship with hats...a useful set of vocabulary and tricks.
* We’ll look always at this question: What makes for a signature style when a performer enters? Why does an audience sometimes say ‘Yes, please’ and sometimes say, ‘I don’t know about this ’ What can be pulled from Vaudeville and Music Hall history into our work today?

Fun will be had! The session will move quickly and involve rigor, but at everyone’s own pace. Dance training and experience helpful but not essential. Participating artists will want: Loose clothing for movement, comfortable working shoes, and a hat to work with (bring a few if possible, and bring items that are part of your particular performance work).

Special thanks to Celebration Barn (USA), and ARS NOVA for their generous support of the workshop.